Believe officials want to close Placid hospital

It is no surprise to anyone affiliated with Placid Memorial Hospital to hear the Adirondack Health Board of Directors has allowed its personnel to seek a way to combine Placid Memorial Hospital and Adirondack Medical Center as one unit, to be located on the outskirts (toward Malone) of Saranac Lake.

When I became supervisor of the town of North Elba (1996-2007), I promised the then-supervisor, Matt Clark, I would always support the working function of Placid Memorial Hospital – thus my letter of today. It is my belief that the Adirondack Health Board of Directors’ full intent is to close Placid Memorial Hospital, creating a medical center at Adirondack Medical Center! Another TWELVE miles (or so) from Placid Memorial Hospital (Keene, Jay, Wilmington areas).

I do realize the CEO of Adirondack Health and her staff must work with and receive support of other members of the hospital board. This makes me disappointed in those in favor of closing the doors of Placid Memorial Hospital as a medical center. Do you realize the distance of additional miles can either save OR lose a life – just like that?! We residents and taxpayers of North Elba don’t want that onus laid on our conscience! Hopefully, neither do the board members of the Adirondack Health.